Does it get in the way of the live sense of literature? -- Rosenblatt, 1938
Specific Inquiry Question: What is Reader Response and why do we need this theory now more than ever?
We can ask of every assignment or method or text, no matter what its short-term effectiveness: Does it get in the way of the live sense of literature! Does it make literature something to be regurgitated, analyzed, categorized, or is it a means toward making literature a more personally meaningful and self- disciplined activity? And, second, we can create in our classrooms an atmosphere of give-and-take and mutual challenge; through this, we shall surely find indirect evidences of the real literary experiences.
Theories & Research
Reader Response
Does it get in the way of the live sense of literature? -- Rosenblatt, 1938Specific Inquiry Question: What is Reader Response and why do we need this theory now more than ever?
We can ask of every assignment or method or text, no matter what its short-term effectiveness: Does it get in the way of the live sense of literature! Does it make literature something to be regurgitated, analyzed, categorized, or is it a means toward making literature a more personally meaningful and self- disciplined activity? And, second, we can create in our classrooms an atmosphere of give-and-take and mutual challenge; through this, we shall surely find indirect evidences of the real literary experiences.
Resources:
- The Significance of Louise Rosenblatt on the Field of Teaching Literature by Gladdys Westbrook Church
Read to learn how reader response theory has made a lasting impact on the teaching of literature.by Jeanne M. Connell
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Rosenblatt lived to be one-hundred years old and continued to explore the connection of literature and democracy throughout her long life.